Background

Media Intelligence Partners (MIP) was founded in 2004 by Nick Wood, who is a former Communications Director for the UK Conservative Party, who worked for the MPs William Hague and Iain Duncan Smith.[1]
MIP still works for the think-tank which was set up by Iain Duncan Smith in 2004, the Centre for Social Justice.[2][3]

The company’s website highlights the political and media experience of its staff: “With backgrounds in Downing Street, the White House, national newspapers and international campaigning our staff bring a wealth of experience to a client’s campaign,” it says.[4]

Penny Mordaunt who is the Conservative MP for Portsmouth North, and who was appointed Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Communities and Local Government in July 2014 [5], has past links to MIP.

Mordaunt used to be a director of MIP but resigned her position on 22 March 2010, eight days after her links with the lobby firm were highlighted in the Observer newspaper.[6][7]

Working for Philip Morris International

Against Plain Packaging

In response to the plain packaging evidence review conducted by Sir Cyril Chantler, on behalf the UK Government in 2014, MIP acted as media contacts for PMI,
reiterating many of the tobacco industry arguments against plain packaging.
The contacts for the press release were William Walter, who is Director of Campaigns at MIP - who used to work for three different Conservative MPs: David Willetts MP; James Duddridge MP; Nigel Waterson MP - as well as Alistair Thompson, MIP's Managing Director, who is currently a senior member of the Conservative Group on Portsmouth Council.[8][9][10]

The press release contended that illicit tobacco levels in Australia had risen since the introduction of plain packaging in December 2012, despite the fact that Chantler had dismissed this research as “flawed” and the Australian Government condemned it as “not accurate”. See Plain Packaging: Have Illicit Levels Risen in Australia?

Scaremongering on Illicit in the UK

On the eve of the UK Government’s first public consultation on plain packaging, on 15 April 2012, MIP issued a press release on behalf of PMI which released a poll which claimed that “UK residents overwhelmingly believe a ban on branded packs would increase the black market for cigarettes”.
The press release also went on to mention research by London Economics which showed “that plain packaging would result in consumer preferences shifting from premium to cheaper products, making cigarettes more affordable.”[11]

The press release was part of a well-planned public relations campaign by PMI to derail plain packaging legislation in the UK. Leaked PMI documents reveal the precisely planned detail of the campaign. One “Media Activity Timeline” shows that the London Economics research and poll, fitted into a carefully crafted plan to oppose plain packaging. [12]

Three months later, in July 2012, MIP issued another press release on behalf of PMI which contended that: “Government plans to introduce plain packaging for tobacco products will make it easier for criminals to produce and sell illegal cigarettes, according to a new poll of serving police officers.”[13] This Populus poll of 501 police officers was funded by PMI.

Again the release also was part the wider PR campaign, including the strategy of using third-parties such as Policemen and ex-Policemen, to push the company’s message.

To this end, PMI has employed Will O’Reilly, an ex-Scotland Yard detective, to scaremonger over illicit levels in the local, regional and national press. For more on this see:

Lobbying on the Tobacco Products Directive

Lobbying disclosure records by Conservative MEPs reveal that in May 2103, Matthew Walsh, the Director of Corporate Affairs at MIP met the Conservative MEP Giles Chichester on behalf of MIP/Philip Morris to talk about the TPD.[15]